California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 12km WSW of Niland, CA

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 12km WSW of Niland, CA on Sun, May 3, 1981, 12:17 PM PDT (19:17 UTC), 12 km (7 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.8 27km SE of Ocotillo Wells, CA. This one was a foreshock.

Niland forecastMore in California

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.6 (mc), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-05-03 19:17:29 UTC
Depth
11.5 km (7.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
33.197° N, 115.633° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 0.5 km horizontally, 1.3 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
67°
Stations used
23

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 189 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.827km SE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16555 days ago · 8 km deep · 35 km away
  2. 1.62km S of Brawley, CA · 16554 days ago · 14 km deep · 28 km away
  3. 2.37km WSW of Calipatria, CA · 16554 days ago · 8 km deep · 11 km away
  4. 1.96km E of Niland, CA · 16554 days ago · 5 km deep · 17 km away
  5. 1.85km ESE of Niland, CA · 16554 days ago · 8 km deep · 16 km away
  6. 1.518km ESE of Campo, CA · 16553 days ago · 6 km deep · 95 km away
  7. 2.218km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16553 days ago · 13 km deep · 73 km away
  8. 1.84km WNW of Westmorland, CA · 16552 days ago · 4 km deep · 16 km away
  9. 2.24km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16552 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  10. 2.25km S of Salton City, CA · 16551 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  11. 2.47km NW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16551 days ago · 6 km deep · 95 km away
  12. 1.76km S of Salton City, CA · 16551 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  13. 1.912km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16550 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
  14. 2.35km S of Salton City, CA · 16549 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  15. 1.88km SE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16549 days ago · 3 km deep · 41 km away
  16. 1.513km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16548 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
  17. 2.15km S of Salton City, CA · 16548 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  18. 1.75km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16548 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  19. 1.736km WNW of Desert Center, CA · 16547 days ago · 0 km deep · 70 km away
  20. 1.735km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16547 days ago · 1 km deep · 69 km away
  21. 1.62km SSW of Brawley, CA · 16547 days ago · 14 km deep · 28 km away
  22. 1.92km SSW of Brawley, CA · 16547 days ago · 15 km deep · 27 km away
  23. 1.67km NW of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16547 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  24. 1.527km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16546 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  25. 1.57km WSW of Calipatria, CA · 16546 days ago · 11 km deep · 12 km away
  26. 1.631km SE of Twentynine Palms, CA · 16545 days ago · 2 km deep · 87 km away
  27. 2.15km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16543 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  28. 1.66km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16543 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  29. 1.634km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16543 days ago · 3 km deep · 68 km away
  30. 1.94km SW of Ocotillo, CA · 16542 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  31. 2.15km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16542 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  32. 1.97km S of Salton City, CA · 16542 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  33. 2.87km S of Salton City, CA · 16542 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  34. 1.87km S of Salton City, CA · 16542 days ago · 1 km deep · 31 km away
  35. 1.814km ENE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16541 days ago · 9 km deep · 59 km away
  36. 1.518km ESE of Campo, CA · 16541 days ago · 6 km deep · 94 km away
  37. 1.67km S of Salton City, CA · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 31 km away
  38. 2.07km S of Salton City, CA · 16541 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  39. 2.37km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16541 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  40. 1.56km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  41. 1.634km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 69 km away
  42. 1.66km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16540 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  43. 2.57km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16540 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  44. 1.58km SSW of Holtville, CA · 16539 days ago · 6 km deep · 54 km away
  45. 2.617km W of Westmorland, CA · 16539 days ago · 10 km deep · 26 km away
  46. 1.617km W of Westmorland, CA · 16539 days ago · 5 km deep · 26 km away
  47. 1.76km W of Westmorland, CA · 16539 days ago · 8 km deep · 18 km away
  48. 1.518km E of Campo, CA · 16539 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  49. 3.66km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16538 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  50. 2.67km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16538 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  51. 1.713km S of Salton City, CA · 16538 days ago · 3 km deep · 29 km away
  52. 1.87km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16538 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  53. 1.67km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16538 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  54. 1.67km S of Salton City, CA · 16538 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  55. 2.019km ESE of Ocotillo, CA · 16537 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  56. 1.514km N of Warner Springs, CA · 16537 days ago · 10 km deep · 94 km away
  57. 1.85km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16537 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  58. 1.77km S of Salton City, CA · 16537 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  59. 1.514km ENE of Thousand Palms, CA · 16537 days ago · 3 km deep · 94 km away
  60. 1.914km ENE of Indio, CA · 16537 days ago · -1 km deep · 78 km away

The first 60 of 189.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci515280. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:33 PM UTC.